Yaiva, foremost is of Dine' & Hopi decent, a father, a graduate from Northern Arizona University with a Bachelors of  Science in Applied Indigenous Studies and a minor in Economic Development.

Yaiva is also a hip hop artist, producer, business owner, promoter, marketing specialist, play write, author of short stories, pow-wow singer, and an active participant in his community for positive change.

He is of the Reed People/Arrowhead Clan and born for the Eagle Clan, maternal grandparent are of the Coyote Pass People and his paternal grandparent is of the Bear clan, this is how he identifies himself as a Native male.

Yaiva is originally from Pinon and Hotevilla Arizona. However he grew up and graduated high school from Shiprock New Mexico.

Gabriel has been called simply Yaiva since his days in high school and that is what he is now called on and off stage.

As a youth Yaiva was deeply involved in gangs, drugs and alcohol. At 19 Yaiva nearly lost his life to a knife fight with another Native brother and had nearly taken another mans life.

This incident changed Yaiva's life for the better and has been his motivation for the work he does in his community, the need for consciouness and positivity in his music and in his relations with family, friends and the world.

Yaiva, a community particupant for positive change, is currently the director of the Peace and Balance Project: A substance abuse prevention and gang
awareness inititive. (Read more about the Peace and Balance Project). This project is part of the Native Movement collective.

The Peace and Balance Project works with youth in the southwest and also does special presentations and performences around the country such as on reservation and universities including the Muckleshoot rez outside of Seattle, WA, the Haulapai rez, the Hopi and Navajo rez, University of Wyoming, University of Wisconsin, Clarion University of Pennsylvania, and soon the Ivy League school, Brown University plus many reservation Jr and high schools.

Aside from presentations and performences the Peace and Balance projects host a variety of projects including a summer survival skills camp doing cultural exchange with inner city youth and youth from various reservations considered "at risk".

Another project is the Educating and Healing Through Hip-Hop. This goes hand in hand with what Yaiva is about and what his music embodies. The goal is to educate and heal the community through the power of music. "We hope to teach that not all hip-hop is negative and through music we hope eventually heal", Yaiva.
 

Mainstream media outlets have distorted the image of hip-hop and have attacked our youth violently and mentally with images of violence, promoting drug use, trafficing, misogny, lavish and unattainable lifestyles, and disrespect of our sister, mothers and grandmothers.

Healing, we see happening through educating about hip-hop and the media, youth empowerment through realizng the strenght of their voices and
opinions, and realizing the power they have to change the world through positive language and lifestyles.

Yaiva, a business man, is the founder and owner of 4th World Entertainment. 4WENT is a independent record label that has released all of Yaiva's albums
including Straight Heat, Limited Edition, For The People - EP and The Fire Starter compilation, also DJ Young Native's Summer 05 Mixtape, and co-sponsored 2005 NAMMY winner JayNez's 1st album, "My Family", plus Co-executive produced the Winter Solstice - Save The Peaks Compilation.

4WENT is also releasing 3 more albums in 2007. These include the "DJ Kiss & Yaiva 07' Mixtape", JayNez's 2nd solo album, "Do You Wanna Dance" and
Yaiva's newest solo album titled "LIFE".

4th World Entertainment also specializes in promotion. 4WENT has been a part of such shows as the Bone Thugs and Harmony tour in the southwest,
and shows with Too, Short, MC Magic, Mr. Capone-E, Bushwick Bill of the Geto Boys, plus over 2 dozen local and Native hip-hop shows.

Most recently Yaiva has taken his skills as a promoter to fund raise for non-profit organizations such as the Native Movement, the Peace and Balance Project, ECHOES, the Save The Peaks Coalition and has great
success and raised funds for many great causes.

One of the most successful shows was the 2007 Native American Heritage Showcase that took place at the Orpheum Theater in downtown Flagstaff, AZ
on November 18th. This event nearly had an attendence of capascity "this is the first time in 6 years we have had to open the balcony" said Orpheum manager, Thomas.

Artists on the bill included Native America's premier
comedy duo - James and Ernie, 2006 Grammy reciepient - Star Nayea, 2004 Grammy nominee - Kelvin Mockingbird, Hopi dancers and much more. The event was a fund raiser for the Peace and Balance Project.

Yaiva is a solo artist but is also a member of the highly celebrated group, The Dream Team. The Dream Team consist of 2005 Nammy winner for Debut Artist of the Year, JayNez, New Mexico's #1 rated DJ, DJ Kiss. (More about the Dream Team)

Hard-hitting, high-positive energy flows are customary of Yaiva's performances and his music. Yaiva has been featured on over 20 albums, and over 30 publications but this is just the beginning. Yaiva and his ever growing career, performence roster, album features and cd releases is one to keep and eye on.

Yaiva in Hopi means to & rise gracefully;
As his last name suggest, Yaiva is doing just that.